Wireless technology provides a mechanism for either replacing or extending traditional wired networks including, but not limited to, local area networks (LANs), personal area networks (PAN) and metropolitan area networks (MAN). Using radio frequency (RF) or RF technology, wireless networks transmit and receive data over the air, through walls, ceilings and even cement structures without wired cabling. For example, a wireless-LAN (WLAN) is a flexible data communication system. A WLAN provides all the features and benefits of traditional LAN technology, such as Ethernet and Token Ring, but without the limitations of being tethered together by a cable. This provides greater freedom and increased flexibility.
Wireless technology also provides a mechanism for cellular communication in the form of cellular networks. The cellular landscape is composed of both cooperating and competing cellular networks, or carriers. Carriers install a vast network of radio towers, referred to herein as “base stations” throughout their coverage area. For some carriers, their coverage area is very small, limited to just a portion of a state, while other carriers have a very large web that covers populated areas all over the entire country. Throughout their coverage area, carriers install a series of towers with slightly overlapping coverage.
Carriers are licensed a block of radio frequencies, which they can broadcast on in a specific area. The carrier then divides that block into smaller portions, which are assigned to individual towers. The base station can then divide the portion of frequency among a limited number of users. The total number of users a cell can support is often referred to as “capacity”. Each base station has one or more antenna, which provide the coverage on its assigned frequency for that site, called the “cell”. Cells are roughly circular and range from 0.5 to 6 miles in radius. Each base station is connected back to a central command center run by the carrier that owns the cell. The command center connects the cells together into a network, which is linked to the worldwide phone network.
Wireless devices, including but not limited to cellular phones, personal digital assistants, laptop computers, including a wireless transceiver, or other like mobile devices are able to make use of both wireless, as well as cellular, networks.